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2010-08-16: The Only Family They Have
Summary: Captain America and Bucky (well, a Bucky) reunite Location: Union Square, New York City Participants: Captain America, Nomad Rating: PG-13 for Mild Language The area around Union Square is its usual madness, with protests and markets and street performers all mingling and conversing and general BEING New York. Among them is Rikki Barnes, currently watching a group of breakdancers as she bobs herself back and forth the rhythm of the hip-hop blaring over an old battered jukebox. She's actually taking some recreation time to enjoy herself; a novel concept. A novel concept indeed. Steve Rogers hasn't quite reached that point yet. He's still finding this new world bewildering, confusing, and at times a bit scary. Nothing he can't handle of course, but he's been wondering if this "immersion therapy" he's taken up was the best idea after all. Still, Steve has found his way to Union Square as well, and is currently listening to a speech by a member of the Friends of Humanity with no small trace of a frown on his face. Rikki will admit that she keeps glancing over towards the FoH rally that has been gathering, frowning slightly. She recognizes nutcases when she sees them, and these guys are-wait, is that who she thinks it is. Her eyes growing saucer-wide, Rikki starts to push herself through the crowd. "Steve!" she calls out, though her voice is mostly drowned out by the crowd. It can't be him, he was never found here, that's what her friend Karo had told her. But she would know that jaw anywhere. "Steve, its me, Rikki!" she says, waving her arms wildly. Still, the crowd is too loud, and even a few people nearby look at he strangely. Oh right. Lots of Steves. Frustrated, she cups her hands and shouts with all her might. "CAPPPPPPPPPPPP'N!" That should get his attention. He always hated when she called him Cap'n. Like the rest of him, Steve's hearing is as good as a human being's can possibly get. But yes, Rikki's initial cries are indeed swallowed by the crowd. That final yell though, does cause a furrowing of his brow, and a bewildered look in the direction it originates from. His eyes do fixate on the girl, a frown on his face, but he does start to make his way through the crowd towards her. He doesn't recognize her, or the yell, of course, but nobody should know his identity here...unless she works for SHIELD? Still...looks awfully young for a secret agent. "Excuse me, pardon, sorry, ooo, cute shoes," Rikki comments as she bounces through the crowd, eventually reaching Steve and smiling widely. "Holy...wow! It is really you! Like REALLY!" She positively beaming, her face and eyes shining. "So when did you get here? Did Doom getcha? What about the rest? You're looking prety fit, but then again, when ISN'T that the case." She's going a mile a minute, questions and compliments spilling from her in rapid-fire succession. "Wait wait...slow down miss." Steve raises hands in a "stop" motion, palms outward, "Do I know you? I'm sorry but you don't look familiar to me." He glances around, gesturing towards a quieter section of the area, "Come on, we can talk over here." He's really not sure what's going on, but she doesn't seem to be a threat, and she -does- seem to know him. At the very least it's worth hearing her out. The glow in her face dies a few watts, as Rikki softly nods her head and follows after Steve towards a quieter corner of the Square. Once the crowd noise isn't quite so deafening, she turns, frowning deeply. "So you really don't recognize me?" she says, sounding disappointed. "And you're really...him?" she continues, voice falling to a whisper. "THE Steve Rogers?" "I'm...afraid not." Steve comments, rubbing the back of his head, "But yes...I'm Steve Rogers, and I suspect you know more about me than anyone around here should." He moves to sit down on a stone bench, gesturing to the spot next to him, "I'm sorry...should I know you?" He studies her intently, trying to find signs of familiarity, but not really succeeding beyond getting a glimmer of the girl's sincerity." Okay, so he really doesn't recognize her. That's a bit heartbreaking, and the heat growing in her face as she fights back tears is probably pretty evident. She takes a few deep breathes before taking a seat at the bench, pressing her knees together in that akward discomfort teens are so good at. "I guess not. My name is Rikki Barnes, and I'm from another world...wait, world is the wrong word. Dimension? Reality?" She wrinkles her nose in frustration. "But anyway, wherever I'm from, we were buddies. Partners. I was your younger, girlier Bucky." She glances towards Steve. "Did you even have a Bucky here? I know I was never born in this world..." she says, sighing softly. "Another world? Bucky?" Steve shakes his head, "I...yes, there was a Bucky here. He was my best friend during the war but..." He pauses, glancing downward, emotion threatening to overtake his chiseled features, "I failed him. He...he didn't make it." He takes a deep breath, reaching over to take Rikki's hands, "Hey now...I'm sorry I'm not the exact Steve you seem to be looking for, but I do know what it's like to be in an unfamiliar world with virtually nobody that knows you. I've..." He glances around, "I've only been in the here and now for a little over a week." He pauses, frowning, "Wait, did you say Barnes?" Rikki's eyes grow wide again, bottom lip trembling. "Grandpa Bucky's dead?" she says, sounding less shocked than simply upset. "I tried to find him...and my parents, or my brother." She bites her bottom lip, squeezing Steve's hand tightly for every comfort she can get from it, the tears starting to fall. "I-I-I guess that explains that," she softly, before sniffling, then she looks up and nods, grinning. "Yeah, Rebecca Barnes. Parents called me Rikki because I never seemed very interested in being a girly girl, so might as well give me a boy's name." "Bucky was your...grandfather?" He shakes his head, "Yes...I'm sorry but...he died before he ever had children, here." At least unless Bucky was a lot busier on those R & R's than he realized! "I'm...I'm sorry Rikki. I wish I had better news to give you...or that I was the er...me that you were looking for." He does put a hand on her shoulder, half-hugging her in what he hopes is a comforting gesture. Rikki shakes her head. "No, that makes sense. No Grandpa, no Dad, no me. Law of cause and effect," she says, sounding like she's already considered that possibility. She looks up in Steve's face. "So...what are you doing here? I mean, and no offense, but aren't you supposed to be all KIA? That's what the history books say." Her lips quivers slightly, at the very memory of learning that. That had been a long night for the young heroine. "I uh...that's what they thought. Turns out I was frozen in the North Atlantic for 65 years...give or take." He glances around, frowning, "I'm...trying to get used to the 21st Century. It's so...different. Better in some ways, but...a -lot- more chaotic and fast-paced." He shakes his head, "Still trying to get my footing." "Heh, Cap on the rocks," Rikki jokes, before giggling at her own dumb joke. "Ahem, okay, something similar to that happened in our world too. Though you got found much earlier. And yeah, you got a loooooot to catch up on. My suggestion? Avoid the internet if you can." A soft electronic beeping sounds seems to emit from Rikki's wrist. She seems to ignore it for a few seconds, until she remembers it is coming from her. Glancing at her wrist, she frowns. "Ah crap, I got my shitty dishwashing job to go to," she says, before the hairs on the back of her neck stand on in, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry about the language, sir," she says, blushing brightly. "Apology accepted. I'm sure you know it doesn't befit a lady." Steve smiles, but it turns to a frown as dots start connecting in his head, "Rikki...do you have anyone here? Any place to stay?" And thus comes the hard part, as Rikki gulps a bit before putting on a brave smile. "Yeah, I got a place. And a roommate," she says, sound vaguely proud. She thinks about leaving it there for a few seconds, before adding under her breathe, "Not that we exactly...pay...for the space." Then, at a higher volume. "But I'm working like ten billion jobs! If you ever drop into TacoTaco, I can get you a bag of the best-worst fast food you've ever had." "I see." Steve says, still frowning, "Rikki, I'd like to talk to you again. Possibly introduce you to someone." Heck, someone she might already know from her home universe...maybe. "I might not be the exact Steve Rogers you're looking for, but if you are who you say you are...alternate reality or no...you're still probably the closest thing to family I have in this day and age..." Rikki ponders that for a bit, before nodding her head. "Yeah, guess I could say the same. I mean, I'm sure there are some second aunts and uncles out there, but my folks are...well, never were here, same for my brother. Karo is a pal, but she's not..." She stops mid-sentence, wrinkling her nose. "Ah crap, I wasn't suppose to say her name with asking her first." Blinkblink. "I mean, shucks. Anyway, sure, I'll do whatever you ask, Cap'n," she says, sounding sincere as she smiles cheerily. "I didn't hear a thing." Steve smiles a touch, then reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small notepad and a pen, and scribbling down an address, "This is where I'm staying. You can stop by there anytime. Now I'd better let you go so you aren't late for work." He adds after a moment, "Do you need a lift? My bike's not far..." Rikki takes the note, looks it over and stuff it into her pocket with a few nods of her head. "Okay, cool, I'll definitely drop by and not, likely, at total stalker-creeper times. Promise." Probably, as she smiles at Cap. When he offers a ride, on his bike, she blinks a few more times then cracks a smile. "Sure, just like old times...only...you don't remember them...so for you, it's only like brand new times," she figures, as she stands with a slight hop. "All right...let's go." Steve smiles once more, heading off in the direction of his parked motorcycle. He'll have her to her job in no time. Though this will be, he suspects, far from the last time he'll see Rikki Barnes. In fact, he's going to have to put in a call to Nick about this. The seed of an idea is already planted. He just wants to make sure this isn't some kind of particularly cruel trap before seeing if it bears fruit. Category:Logs